The Subaru DL front and rear side marker bulbs utilize 194 and 89 bulb sizes, with the front position requiring the 194 size exclusively. The replacement chart covers vehicle production spanning 1976 to 1989, detailing bulb specifications across the model's manufacturing years.
The year-by-year compatibility chart below provides a quick reference to verify the correct bulb size for your vehicle.
The Subaru DL uses the 194 bulb for the front side marker across all covered model years, spanning 1976-1989.
The 194 is a T10 miniature wedge bulb rated at 12V and 3.78W, conforming to ANSI standards for the US and Canadian markets.
The T10 wedge base design means the 194 bulb requires no locking mechanism to seat in its socket, relying instead on the tension of the wedge-shaped base against the socket walls.
The rear side marker on the Subaru DL uses the 194 bulb for model years 1980-1989, matching the front side marker specification for those years.
For model years 1976-1979, the rear side marker on the Subaru DL uses the 89 bulb rather than the 194.
The 89 bulb uses a BA15s single-contact bayonet base, which is physically incompatible with the wedge socket used by the 194, making the two bulbs non-interchangeable despite both operating at 12V.
The 89 is rated at 13W, making it significantly higher in wattage than the 3.78W 194 bulb used in the front position and in later rear applications.
The 89 bulb is described as a lower wattage variant of the 1156, sharing the same BA15s bayonet base but drawing less power than the standard 1156 rating of approximately 26.9W.
The shift from the 89 to the 194 in the rear side marker position between the 1979 and 1980 model years represents a change in both base type and wattage for that socket location.
Both the 194 and the 89 conform to ANSI standards applicable in the US and Canada, indicating standardized electrical and physical tolerances for each respective type.